THAILAND: ITALIAN FM GIANFRANCO FINI TOURS PHUKET ISLAND TO SEE DEVASTATION LEFT BY KILLER TSUNAMI WHICH CLAIMED MORE THAN 5000 LIVES
Record ID:
646994
THAILAND: ITALIAN FM GIANFRANCO FINI TOURS PHUKET ISLAND TO SEE DEVASTATION LEFT BY KILLER TSUNAMI WHICH CLAIMED MORE THAN 5000 LIVES
- Title: THAILAND: ITALIAN FM GIANFRANCO FINI TOURS PHUKET ISLAND TO SEE DEVASTATION LEFT BY KILLER TSUNAMI WHICH CLAIMED MORE THAN 5000 LIVES
- Date: 22nd January 2005
- Summary: (W2) PHUKET, THAILAND (JANUARY 22,2005) (REUTERS) 1. ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER GIANFRANCO FINI ARRIVING AT PHUKET VICTIMS DISASTER CENTRE / FINI MEETING AND SHAKING HANDS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER SURAKIART SATHIRATHAI 0.16 2. VARIOUS OF FINI MEETING WITH THAI FOREIGN MINISTER (5 SHOTS) 0.36 3. FINI SPEAKING TO PRESS 0.39 4. (SOUNDBITE)(ITALIAN) ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER GIANFRANCO FINI, SAYING: "The Foreign Ministry has shown me detailed and precise information on the type of reconstruction work that has been carried out so far, and especially what has been done to bring back to normality all the areas that have been destroyed. There's no doubt a lot has been done, if you consider that it (Tsunami) has happened only 20 days ago. Now the longest and more committed phase has begun which is not only the reconstruction of infrastructures, hotels and tourist centres but also to restore to their natural beauty all those areas that have made Thailand one of the most attractive destinations of international tourism. I have confirmed that Italy will participate in the conference that will be held here in Phuket next friday both politically, with the participation of the Vice Foreign Minister, and technically with the attendance of experts employed by the Minister of Environment for their particular expertise in marine eco-system matters." 1.47 5. FINI SPEAKING TO PRESS 1.51 6. (SOUDNBITE)(ITALIAN) ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER GIANFRANCO FINI, SAYING: "Thorough scientific examinations have been carried out in order to return to those families who have lost someone their beloved ones, to find out the precise identity of the victims. Of course this process (of identification) is quite lengthy, it involves a series of scientific tests which are carried out not only thanks to the collaboration between our experts and the Thai authorities but also between the Thai authorities and the International community because, and this may sound quite macabre, some of the bodies found even after a few days, were in such a state that it was difficult to distinguish those of Western nationality from the Asiatic ones or in some cases even their gender. Therefore it is impossible to be able to distinguish easily those of Italian nationality." 2.54 7. FINI WALKING TO MISSING VICTIMS BOARD 2.59 8. VIEW OF BOARD WHERE ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF MISSING VICTIMS ARE POSTED 3.03 9. VARIOUS VIEWS OF FINI LOOKING OVER PHOTOGRAPHS (3 SHOTS) 3.18 10. VQRIOUS: FINI ARRIVING AT THE ARRIVING AT CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION, PHUKETS CATHOLIC CHURCH, BEING GREETED BY BISHOP (4 SHOTS) 3.46 11. FINI STANDING FOR MEMORIAL CEREMONY (3 SHOTS) 4.00 12. VARIOUS: PHUKETS CATHOLIC BISHOP JOSEPH PRATHAN SRIDARUNSIL CONDUCTING CEREMONY / FINI LISTENING (4 SHOTS) 4.27 13. VIEW OF MEMORIAL SITE FOR ITALIAN VICTIMS OF THE TSUNAMI DISASTER 4.32 14. FINI PLACING HIS HANDS ON WREATH AT SITE / CROSSING HIMSELF IN FRONT OF SITE 4.46 15. CU: VIEW OF MEMORIAL 4.50 16. FINI STANDING IN FRONT OF MEMORIAL (2 SHOTS) 5.05 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 6th February 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PHUKET, THAILAND
- Country: Thailand
- Reuters ID: LVA2IPMN1JP6A0P35FCH0L95ZXRU
- Story Text: Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini tours
Phuket island in Thailand, where an earquake and tsunami
claimed the lives of more than five thousand people.
The Italian foreign minister Gianfranco Fini is on
a tour of disaster zones in southeast Asia to see for himself areas
affected by the deadly wave including those
in Sri Lanka and Thailand.
During his visit in Phuket Fini met with local
officials to discuss reconstruction and aid efforts before
attending a memorial service for the deceased at the Church
of the Assumpition, Phuket islands Catholic church.
Fini also made comments about Iraq where one Italian
soldier was killed in the south of the country.
Fini was also meeting Italians from the islands local
community and tourists still in Phuket, before visiting a
temporary centre set up to store bodies of foreign tourists
that will be repatriated to their countries.
Italy lost 20 nationals in the quake disaster while
another 190 are known to be missing. The corpses can no
longer be identified visually and must be identified
through dental records or DNA.
Fini arrived in Phuket after a brief trip to Bangkok
where he announced that a tourism conference would be held
in Milan next month to promote tourism in the disaster
struck region.
During a visit to Sri Lanka the foreign minister said
the Italian Red Cross will begin a humanitarian mission in
that country.
Fini has been a leading supporter of debt cancellation
for the region.
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